An El Cerrito man who killed his San Francisco Conservation Corps co-worker in 2019 has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the crime, prosecutors said.

Hakim Oden, 25, had initially pleaded guilty in a San Francisco court to first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement for shooting a 19-year-old man after Oden saw him with a woman he was interested in romantically.

The day of the murder — March 25, 2019 — was the victim’s first day at work for the SFCC, a Bayview nonprofit that provides job training, life skills, and academics for young adults. It was also the victim’s 19th birthday, according to prosecutors.

Oden “appeared motivated by jealousy,” according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. He waited in his car outside the SFCC site until he saw the victim with the woman and others. Oden then followed the group and the victim into the building with his hood up and his hand in his hoodie pocket. He walked up behind the victim and shot him in the back of the head, execution style. He then ran to his vehicle with his firearm in his hand, sped out of the parking lot, and fled San Francisco.

According to prosecutors, Oden was apprehended Jan. 23, 2023, in Riverside County after a shootout with California Highway Patrol officers.

“No mother, sister, aunt, cousin, family member or friend deserves to learn that their loved one was murdered on their 19th birthday, especially in a cowardly execution from behind while simply waiting for an elevator,” said Assistant District Attorney Charly Weissenbach, who prosecuted the case. “I can only hope this resolution is able to bring some closure and healing to the family that misses him daily.”

In addition to his murder sentence, Oden will also serve a three-year sentence to run concurrently for a 2016 robbery.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.